Tiffany Haddish says Will Smith standing up for wife Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars was 'beautiful'
- Tiffany Haddish said Will Smith defending his wife was "the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
- She added that Smith's decision to "protect" Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars "meant the world to me."
Tiffany Haddish said that Will Smith deciding to "stand up" for his wife Jada Pinkett Smith by slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars was "the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
"When I saw a Black man stand up for his wife. That meant so much to me," Haddish said while speaking to People at the Governors Ball following the ceremony.
"As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say, 'Keep my wife's name out your mouth, leave my wife alone,' that's what your husband is supposed to do, right? Protect you."
"And that meant the world to me," Haddish said. "And maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives."
Smith has generated a huge amount of controversy after approaching Rock onstage at the 94th Academy Awards and slapping him after the comedian seemingly joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's baldness.
While presenting the award for best documentary feature, Rock said, "Can't wait for G.I. Jane 2," to Pinkett Smith, possibly in relation to her shaved head. The "Red Table Talk" host has previously spoken about having alopecia, which has led to hair loss.
While speaking with People, Haddish asked why Rock would joke about Smith's wife, considering that the comedian is a "friend" of the couple. She also said that Rock "didn't even run the joke by her."
"If she wouldn't have been hurt, [Will] probably wouldn't have said nothing," Haddish said. "But you could see he was clearly… And they exploited it. They exploited her, so 'I have to do something'… He protected his wife."
After returning to his seat, Smith also yelled at Rock, "Keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!"
"Would you do that for your wife?" Haddish asked. "Would you say, 'Keep my wife's name out your mother fucking…' Like, yes! Yes!"
Haddish isn't the only celebrity to side with Smith after the altercation. His and Pinkett Smith's 23-year-old son, Jaden Smith, posted apparent support for his parents following the ceremony, tweeting, "And That's How We Do It."